Childhood Friends: Redux
by the go-to guy
Summary: A re-working of my childhood friends story, in which Tsukune is human, Moka's parents don't approve, and they can't resist their growing attraction.
1. The first meeting: 6 years old

I tried for weeks to come up with an idea for a satisfying second chapter for childhood friends, but truth be told I had never intended to make a second chapter. I knew that I had to do _something _to satisfy the readers waiting for a second chapter, so I made this: an alternate version of childhood friends. Here it is: Childhood Friends: Redux! Also, as a side note: I do not read the manga online. As such, I have not yet reached the part where you apparently find out that Akashiya is not Moka's real name. Hence, I am going to leave it as I know so far.

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The van drove through the night at a brisk pace, yet not fast enough that the engine would make too much noise. It was pitch black, which helped the van blend in unseen. Even though the headlights were off, the driver had no trouble seeing where he was going; his vampirific eyes were designed for night hunting. He is not important to our story, however; the important ones are his passengers: a young silver-haired girl who couldn't have been older than six that was sitting across from her father, Count Akashiya, a respected noble in the vampire world. He was taking his daughter out for her first time feeding from a live human, and he was currently reviewing the basics.

"Now tell me again Moka; what do you do if the human wakes up?" He questioned, already knowing that she knew the answer.

"Hit them hard enough that they fall unconscious, but not hard enough to kill them." His daughter responded matter-of-factly.

"And why don't we kill them?"

"Because a human dying out of the blue would attract more attention than a human waking up feeling drained." Count Akashiya nodded, impressed by his daughters vigilance.

"Good, now one last time: you cannot take more than…"

"Two pints of blood."

"Alright; you're ready." Count Akashiya turned to the driver. "Stop here." He ordered. The driver complied. Moka looked out of the window at the house they had stopped at. It was an ordinary cookie-cutter house, no different from the ones around it. It wasn't a very big house, barely two stories, but it looked as if it was well-cared for. The lawn was freshly-cut and there was a pathway leading from the curb to the front door. Parked to the left of the path was a quaint little blue car, one that was typical to the family of a working man. Moka turned towards her father.

"I will be right back." She declared, already knowing what her father was going to say. She gripped the door handle and pulled it, stepping out into the humidity of the late-May night. She closed the door behind her and strolled over to the cement path. She arrived at the door a mere moment later, and then proceeded to pick the lock, just the way she had been told ("There can't be any signs of a forced entry," Her father had said), and the door swung open silently, with a slight push when she was done. Moka entered the house and closed the door behind her, then turned and observed her surroundings in case she needed to make a quick getaway.

She was in what she would refer to as the main hall; it was a narrow hallway that had a staircase against the left wall behind an open doorway that led into a room with a couch, a TV, and a small table. To her right as another open doorway, which led into what appeared to be the kitchen, due to the refrigerator and oven in plain sight. Down the hallway, past the stairs, was what appeared to be the bathroom, a porcelain throne visible through the cracked-open door. Happy with her analysis, Moka closed her eyes and attempted to sniff out any people in the house. She found three: Upstairs to her left, there were two full-grown adults. She assumed they were the parents of the much smaller person that she to her upper right. She opened her eyes and decided to go for the adults; she could afford to take a little bit more from them, as opposed to the child. She ascended the stairs and turned left, but she froze in her tracks at the sound of a tiny voice.

"Who are you?" The voice was small, and seemed to belong to someone harmless, but Moka inwardly cursed at the fact that she let her guard down as she twirled around and brought her hands up in a fighting position. Sure, Moka might have been only six, but she was a vampire, and she would certainly put up an amazing fight. However, her anger quickly turned into confusion when she saw that it was the small kid that she had sensed earlier. He couldn't have been that much older than she was. Still, Moka didn't relax her guard. She couldn't accept the fact that he had managed to sneak up on her. She blatantly ignored his question and instead followed up with one of her own.

"Um…Who are _you_?" Yep, real original Moka. Real original.

"I'm Tsukune Aono. Nice to meet you!" The boy said, smiling as he stuck out his hand. Moka tensed, but she once again became confused when his hand remained in the air. He was just holding it there.

"Um… what are you doing?" Moka asked. Tsukune's eyes widened.

"Don't you know what a handshake is?" He asked. Moka shook her head no, and Tsukune frowned, but he quickly resumed his smile.

"Don't worry; it's really easy!" He said, and then stepped forward towards Moka, who immediately reacted by taking a step back, raising her hands into a fighting position and hissing. Tsukune recoiled, scared by the sudden aggressive attitude.

"What do you think you're doing?" Moka hissed out. Tsukune was startled by the reaction of the strange girl, so his response took a few seconds to form.

"I-I'm showing you how to shake hands." He managed to stutter out. Moka thought about this.

_He was reaching for my hand…_ She reasoned. _And I doubt that 'shaking hands' is some kind of misnomer…_ Deducing that the boy was telling the truth, Moka slowly rose one of the hands hanging at her side. Tsukune tensed, wondering if she was going to hit him, but realized what was going on when the hand hung in midair. He once again stuck his hand out, and this time he found purchase as their hands met. They shook, and Moka hoped that it didn't show when she realized that she was disappointed when they let go.

"So, um, what are you doing in my house?" Tsukune asked once the handshake was over.

_Ack. _Moka thought, her brain floundering about for an answer. She figured that he was going to ask that question eventually, but she had neglected to think of a proper excuse. Tsukune's eyes widened when he received no answer, his young brain already assuming the worst. He stepped back and started trembling before he asked his next question.

"Are you a monster?" Moka felt her face grow hot as Tsukune hit dead-on with his assumption. "Are gonna eat me?" Tsukune asked.

Moka felt a flood of indignation at the question, and before she could stop herself she was snapping back a response. "Of course not!" She said, ashamed that someone would even think that. "The noble vampire is above eating humans whole! What do you think we are, barbarians?" Tsukune blinked once, twice, startled at the outburst, and he slowly processed what Moka had said.

"So…you're not gonna eat me?" He asked timidly. Moka rolled her eyes.

"Isn't that what I just said?" She sighed. _Humans_. Tsukune was still a little slow on the uptake, however.

"But, vampires drink blood, right?" He asked. Moka nodded, and Tsukune gasped. "You're going to drink my blood!" He exclaimed.

"Shhhh!" Moka, said, motioning Tsukune to keep quiet while she frantically glanced back at his parents' bedroom door. She stayed like that for a few seconds, and only relaxed when she realized that Tsukune's parents were still asleep. She glared at her companion in the house. "I'm not going to drink your blood." She said, seeing him visibly relax. "I'm going to drink your parents' blood."

"No!" Tsukune shouted quietly, remembering how Moka wanted him to keep quiet. Moka's sharp glare that was suddenly directed in his direction made Tsukune shrink slightly, but he wasn't finished talking. "Please don't hurt mommy and daddy…"

Moka stared at Tsukune, then threw her hands in the air, exasperated. "Well, I have to drink blood from someone!" Tsukune said something, but Moka didn't hear it. "What did you say?" She asked. Tsukune fidgeted a little before answering.

"…You can have some of my blood." Moka stared at the boy in front of her, dumbfounded.

"Um, what?"

"You can have some of my blood." Tsukune repeated. "I don't want mommy and daddy to get hurt…" Moka continued to stare at the boy. Was he really offering himself in someone else's place? She had never met anyone who would do that before. Before she knew what she was doing, Moka had spoken again.

"Stay still alright? This might hurt a little bit." Tsukune nodded, and Moka realized just what she had gotten herself into. She was about to take blood. From someone who was awake. And if she took too much blood, this little boy, whom she was starting to like, would die. How the heck did it come to this? But she had no choice now. She had already broken who-knows how many rules, and she really needed this blood fix. So, Moka carefully leaned closer and closer to the boy's neck, her eyes fixated on the veins in his neck. Carefully, she opened her mouth and exposed her fangs, then bit. She could feel Tsukune shutter somewhat under her powerful jaws, and Moka felt slightly guilty about hurting him. But she needed to focus: she had to make sure that she didn't drink too much blood. She counted her intake carefully, until finally…

_Now!_ Moka thought, extracting her fangs. She looked at Tsukune and was struck with a sudden sense of panic as he started wobbling around. _ Did I drink too much by accident? _Moka thought. However, she relaxed when Tsukune stopped wobbling and started rubbing the bite mark.

"Owwww…" Tsukune moaned. "That hurt..." Moka snickered at the boys' discomfort.

"Hey!" Tsukune protested. "It did!" He said, trying to defend himself.

"I'm sure it did." Moka replied. Tsukune averted his gaze for a moment, then asked a question.

"Did…did you get enough blood?" Moka stopped snickering. She amazed; this kid actually _cared_ that she was satisfied. She had never met anyone like him before.

"Yes…yes I did. Thank you." Moka turned to leave. "I'm sorry, but I have to go now." Even though it was true, Moka found herself regretting the fact that she had to cut the night short. She wondered why as she descended the stairs. She was so lost in thought that she almost didn't hear Tsukune calling to her. As it was, she was already at the front door when Tsukune's calls finally reached her ears. She turned and saw that Tsukune had followed her halfway down the stairs.

"Wait!" Tsukune said again, not realizing that he had Moka's attention.

"Yes?" Moka asked.

"What…What's your name?" Tsukune asked. Moka smiled.

"It's Moka. Moka Akashiya." And with that, the young vampire exited the house and walking back into the night.

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Part 2 will be up around Monday.


	2. Pinkie Promise: 6 years old

Ever since she had met that strange human Tsukune on her first blood run, Moka had been able to think of almost nothing else. At first she had just brushed the thoughts aside as simple nostalgia; he had been the first person that she had drunk blood from, which was always memorable, and the unusual circumstances that the duo had encountered each other had made the events that much more noteworthy. At least, that was what Moka kept telling herself.

But after a week had gone by and she still found that her thoughts drifted to the black-haired boy, she knew that something was weird. She had to see Tsukune again, if there was any possibility of stopping him from dominating her thoughts. So, when her father told her that it was time to go for another trip into the human world, Moka knew exactly where she wanted to go.

"Moka, why on Earth would you want to go back to the same house?" Her father asked after hearing her admittedly peculiar request.

"Um, well, you see…" Moka stammered out as she tried to think of a valid reason to re-visit a house that wouldn't make her father furious. "There was more than one person!" Moka finally reasoned. "I can drink from the other human!" Moka's father raised an eyebrow, but said no more.

"Alright then. The same house it is."

XXXXXXX

Tsukune tried to focus on what his teacher was saying, but all he heard was the same voice, over and over.

"_I'm a vampire."_

"_Thank you."_

"_It's Moka. Moka Akashiya."_

Moka. It was such a nice name. And she was the only thing that Tsukune had been able to think about ever since they met. He hadn't told anybody about their meeting, not even his parents. For some reason, he didn't think that they would like the fact that a complete stranger had snuck into their house and drank their son's blood. Tsukune had been staying up until he fell asleep from exhaustion, every night, hoping to see Moka again.

Maybe tonight would be the night.

XXXXXXX

Once again, Moka strolled up the cement walkway leading to the front door, picking the same lock that she had on her first visit. She slipped inside of the house, and she once more closed her eyes and opened her senses. The two adults were in there room, and it seemed as if Tsukune was asleep. Hopefully, he would stay that way. Moka once again climbed the stairs to the second floor, but this time she turned right, towards the other end of the house.

There was a door at the end of the hallway, and as Moka approached it, she could smell Tsukune on the other side. She stood in front of the slab of wood, trying to work up the courage to turn the brass handle.

_He's probably asleep._ Moka reasoned. _He won't even know that I'm there. _After a few minutes of this mental justification, Moka reached out and opened the door. Stepping inside, the only thing that was visible with the moonlight shining through the window was a small bed that was pushed up against the left wall, on the opposite side of the room. Moka took one tentative step inside, then another. _So far, so good. _She thought as she continued her slow journey to Tsukune's bedside. Two steps later, Moka cursed under her breath as she stepped on the wrong spot and a loud creaking noise cut through the silent room. Moka held her breath as she stared at Tsukune's bed, hoping that he hadn't been woken up.

No such luck. The covers shifted, and a mess of raven-black hair emerged from underneath the mass of fabric. Tsukune rubbed his eyes, and Moka was deciding whether or not she would be fast enough to dash out of the room before she was noticed when Tsukune turned his head towards her and his eyes widened as he realized that he wasn't alone in his room.

"Moka!" Tsukune cried. Said vampire faltered. _Does he sound…happy to see me?_ Tsukune threw back his covers and scrambled out of bed. He dashed over to Moka and, before she could react, jumped and tackled her in a hug. Moka was so startled by this sudden display of affection that she didn't make any move to stop the human's advance. _What the heck?_

"Tsukune, what in the world are you doing?" Moka asked from beneath the boy. Tsukune smiled as he answered.

"I'm hugging you!" Moka rolled her eyes.

"No duh. I mean why?"

"I'm happy to see you again!" Tsukune responded, completely unabashed. Moka blushed at his statement. She pushed Tsukune off of her and stood up, Tsukune following her lead. "I can't believe you came back!" Tsukune said, still giddy. Moka looked at Tsukune.

"What do you mean?" Moka asked, not willing to accept Tsukune's statement at face value. She had spent so much time around people who said things with double-meanings that she was now naturally suspicious of whatever was said.

"I mean that I'm glad you're here! I missed you!" Tsukune replied. "I haven't been able to stop thinking about you!" Moka's eyes widened at Tsukune's confession.

"Really?" Moka whispered, as if afraid to believe. Tsukune nodded vigorously, and Moka blushed. What was wrong with her? Why were there butterflies in her stomach? And why did the knowledge that Tsukune had missed her make her so…giddy? There were a few moments of silence before Moka realized just how long she had been in Tsukune's house.

"Oh no!" Moka said, startling Tsukune. "I have to hurry!" Moka glanced over at Tsukune, afraid to ask the question that she needed to ask. She didn't want to drink Tsukune's blood! Sure, she had done so already, and she had been obsessing over him for a week! As Moka had a mental war, Tsukune seemed to sense what was troubling his vampire friend and became somewhat downcast.

"I get it…you want some blood…" Tsukune said. It's not that he didn't want to give up some of his blood; it's just that he thought Moka saw him as more than a walking meal.

"It's not that!" Moka said before she could stop herself. "I really wanted to see you again and…" Moka let her sentence hang as she realized what she had blurted out, and a fresh wave of embarrassment colored her face. "I mean, um…" Moka tried to fix her previous statements with some quick wordplay, but when she saw Tsukune's face, again adorned with a smile and aglow with happiness, the words died in her throat. She coughed. "Yes. But, uh, I do also need some blood…"

Tsukune tilted his head to one side in a clear act of submission, and Moka found herself smiling as she leaned forward and once again took a drink from Tsukune's neck, making sure not to take too much. Taking her fill, Moka released her friend and stepped back as he recovered. Moka glanced backwards at the entrance to Tsukune's room sadly, and Tsukune noticed.

"You have to go huh?" He asked, head hanging.

"Yes…" Moka responded, also feeling depressed that she had to leave. She was really starting to like Tsukune, and she wanted to spend more time with him. But, if she didn't leave, her father would come searching for her, and then who knows what could happen. Moka turned to leave, but was stopped by someone grabbing her arm. She turned around and saw that Tsukune had grabbed her.

"Wait!" He said. Tsukune let go of Moka's arm. "You-you'll come back right?" Moka frowned.

"I don't know." She answered honestly. "I hope so." Tsukune held up his hand, all of the fingers closed except for the pinkie.

"Pinkie promise you'll come back." Tsukune said. "I want to see you again." Moka stared at Tsukune's outstretched pinkie before slowly bringing up her own and lacing their fingers together.

"I will." Moka said. They shook pinkies, then let go. Moka turned and made to leave.

"Goodbye." Tsukune said softly. Moka stopped and turned back around.

"Not for long." She said.

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Sorry this took a little bit longer than expected; I had a lot of homework for the past two days. Also, there is a new poll on my profile, and I would appreciate if you answered it so that I am able to plan ahead and continue cranking out stories and chapters. Until next time, happy reading!


	3. Trust: 10 years old

Sorry about the late update; I had a crazy week with homework, projects, and various other things that made me delay the writing process. Sorry.

This chapter feels kind of rushed, but I couldn't think of anything else.

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10 YEARS OLD

The bell rang on the last class of the school day, and Tsukune quickly gathered up his things and shoved them into his backpack. He leapt out of his seat and was halfway to the door before he was stopped by the voice of his friend.

"Tsukune, wait up!" Tsukune looked behind him and saw his friend Kurumu still sitting at her desk, struggling to clean up. Tsukune waited anxiously for a few minutes for Kurumu to reach him, and then continued walking, albeit at a much slower pace. "So, where are you off to in such a hurry?" Kurumu asked.

"Moka's coming over today!" Tsukune cheered happily. Kurumu rolled her eyes.

"Of course…Old Moka." Kurumu said with a smile.

"She's real!" Tsukune exclaimed, as he did every time someone openly doubted the existence of Tsukune's vampire friend, the one that only showed herself to Tsukune. "She's just really shy, and doesn't trust humans!"

"Then why does she trust you?" Kurumu countered, always enjoying some light arguing.

"Because…because…" Tsukune faltered at Kurumu's question. Why did Moka trust him above all the other humans? Sure, they had met when they were six, and had been having secret meetings at Tsukune's house ever since, but… Why? He would have to ask when he got home.

Tsukune and Kurumu continued arguing and making small talk until they got to Tsukune's house. "Goodbye, Kurumu! See you tomorrow!" The raven-haired boy said as he strolled p the walkway. Kurumu returned his farewell, but couldn't resist adding one last little jab.

"Say hello to Moka for me!"

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Moka instantly smelled Tsukune's distinct scent when he entered the house. She waited in his room, as she did whenever she visited, while Tsukune gave the usual greetings to his parents and fed them the usual BS about having a ton of homework. Moka allowed a small smile as she considered how things came to this. After making the pinkie promise with Tsukune, Moka had found a way to sneak out of her house and come to the human world. She had been doing so ever since, and tried to visit Tsukune at least once a month. Moka had been lucky so far in the fact that her parents hadn't found out, but it was getting harder and harder to sneak out…

Moka's musings were cut short by Tsukune opening the door and entering his room. Throwing his backpack down, Tsukune instantly donned a smile when he saw that his best friend was perched on his bed.

"Moka!" Tsukune said happily, making sure to keep his voice down so that his parents wouldn't hear him.

"Hello, Tsukune." Moka replied. She hopped off the bed and plodded over to him, and the two shared a hug. Moka had become much more comfortable with Tsukune since their first meeting, even more so than with her own family, which had never been the closest. Well, except for Kokoa, but Moka didn't really categorize 'beating the crap out of each other' under sisterly affection.

The duo let go of each other and sat down on the carpet. Tsukune asked about the monster world, and Moka asked about the human world. In other words, they made small talk. There was no need to say anything else; both knew the other well enough to read between the lines of dialogue.

"How's Kokoa doing?" Tsukune asked. _Do you two still fight all the time?_

"Same as always." Moka replied with a shrug. _Yes, but I always win. _"How's school?"

"No different." _I'm still getting C's. _

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Moka glanced at the clock and frowned when she saw that it was time to go. She hated leaving; she loved hanging out with Tsukune! She didn't ever want to go! But, if she stayed any longer, Moka's parents would be sure to find her and then who knows what they would do? So, dejectedly, Moka got up from her cross-legged position on the floor.

"Time to go?" Tsukune asked.

"Yes." Moka replied simply. She turned towards the window, but before she could do anything else, Tsukune stopped her.

"Wait, Moka! I almost forgot to ask you!" He exclaimed. Moka turned, once again facing Tsukune.

"Hm? What is it?"

"Why do you trust me?" Tsukune asked. Moka turned red, not expecting Tsukune to ask such a strange question.

"Why do you want to know?" Moka countered, doing her best to simultaneously dodge the question and hide her blush. Tsukune, also sporting a blush, had suddenly found something incredibly interesting on the wall.

"Well…you know…its like; you said that you didn't really trust humans, so…I was wondering… what makes me different?" Tsukune stuttered out.

Moka thought about the question before she answered; she didn't want to answer wrong and loose her best friend.

"I don't know." Moka finally said. She saw Tsukune deflate and quickly spoke up once more. "I don't mean that in a bad way; I just don't know exactly why I trust you so much."

"What does that mean?" Tsukune asked, clearly confused.

"Yes, it's true that I don't really trust humans." Moka started. "Most of them just give me this…bad vibe, if you know what I mean." Tsukune nodded, understanding. "But, you…I don't know. When I'm around you, I feel, safe, I guess. And happy." Moka's blush deepened with every word. She was still not facing Tsukune, but when she heard no response from him for at least a minute, Moka spared a quick glance and was startled to see the beginnings of tears at the corner of Tsukune's eyes. She quickly turned and faced her friend head-on. Had she done something wrong? "Tsukune, I didn't mean to-"Moka was cut off by Tsukune suddenly hugging her.

"Thank you." Tsukune whispered. "That means a lot to me." They stayed that way for a few minutes, then Tsukune finally let go of the surprised Moka, his eyes still a tad red from his tears of happiness.

"I have to go." Moka said as she once more turned towards the window.

"Goodbye." Tsukune said.

"Goodbye." Moka responded.

XXXXXXXX

Moka crawled into her bedroom through the window, silently congratulating herself on once again being able to sneak in and out of her house undetected, and still feeling slightly giddy form Tsukune's meaningful hug. Moka closed the window behind her and pivoted when her room became awash with artificial light. Blinking a few times to get used to the brightness once more, Moka found a sight that make her blood run cold standing in front of her.

"Where were you, Moka?" Her father asked. He was clearly not happy.


	4. Problems: 10 years old

For this chapter, I have to remind everyone that I don't read the manga online, and have no idea what Moka's father's personality is like. So, I had to base my assumptions on what I've read in fanfics. Please don't kill me if I got it wrong. Thank you!

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10 YEARS OLD

Very few things can make a Vampire scared, since they are the strongest of all monsters; most problems can be solved with a kick in the face. However, the saying goes that there is always someone stronger than you, and for Moka (and most vampires) that person was her father. He was the only person Moka feared. Unfortunately, he was standing right in front of her after discovering her sneaking out of the house, and he was not happy.

"I'm going to ask again Moka: Where were you?" Her father commanded, his red eyes shooting daggers at his daughter. Moka, for her part, was doing her best to maintain her composure. She could not, under any circumstances, let her father know about Tsukune. Not only would he punish her so severely she would most likely not be able to leave the house until she was twenty-two, there was no telling what he would do to Tsukune and his family. Moka's throat tightened at the thought of Tsukune getting hurt, and she couldn't breath at the idea of it being her fault.

"I was…out." She responded, trying to be as vague as possible. Count Akashyia's emotions flared.

"I know that much!" He barked. Moka flinched. "What I want to know is where! Who were you with?"

"I wasn't with anybody!" Moka answered. "I was going for a walk!" Count Akashiya rolled his eyes.

"A walk. Moka, you are much too young to be going for romantic strolls in the moonlight." He paused as a thought occurred to him. "You weren't with a boy, were you?"

"Of course not!" Moka quickly defended, somewhat scared that her father was getting closer to the truth.

"Good. One more question. Why," Count Akashiya leaned forward, curling his lips back to expose his teeth. "do you smell like a _human?"_ He all but spat the last word, and Moka was reminded of how much he hated humans for their bias and violence against monsters and each other.

Moka's mind scrambled for an explanation, some excuse; anything but the truth. "I was feeding!" She blurted out, finding a logical reason for her scent. Count Akashiya raised an eyebrow in suspiciousness, but said nothing so Moka continued. "I-I wanted to impress you, so I went feeding by myself!" Moka held her breath when her father said nothing, praying for the best yet preparing for the worst.

The silence was so palpable you could have cut it with a knife, and Moka could feel it weighing down on her, getting heavier with every second her father didn't answer. Then just as Moka reached her breaking point and couldn't take the waiting any more, her father spoke up.

"Fine." He said. Just one word. Moka looked up at Count Akashiya in confusion.

"What?"

"Fine." He repeated. "I believe you. It makes sense." Moka's eyes widened. Was it really that easy? Was it really over? "But," Count Akashiya stared again. "If you ever leave the house without telling me again, you will be punished. Do you understand?" The menace in Count Akashyia's voice sent shivers up Moka's spine. It was all she could do to nod in understanding.

XXXXXXX

"Tsukune, what were you doing last night?" His mother asked as he got ready for school the next morning. Tsukune paused from packing his schoolbag and looked up.

"What do you mean Mom?" He asked. His mother sighed.

"Well, you see, around midnight I got up and went to the bathroom, but I swear that I heard some voices coming from your room." Tsukune thought for a moment or two, and then realized what his mother was talking about.

"Oh! Moka came over last night!" Tsukune said. Mrs. Aono paused in her making of Tsukune's lunch.

"Moka…came into our house?" She asked, making sure she had heard her son correctly. Like her husband, Mrs. Aono thought that Moka was just a figment of Tsukune's imagination. But she had heard the voices last night. Suddenly, her sons 'secret best friend' didn't seem as imaginary anymore.

Tsukune nodded. "Yeah! We talked for a while, but then she had to go home." Mrs. Aono turned form the counter and faced her son.

"Um…Tsukune, how old is Moka?" She asked, a little nervous to hear his answer.

"She's 10. Why?" Mrs. Aono exhaled a breath she didn't realize she had been holding. That was one worry crossed off of the list.

"How often does Moka visit, Tsukune?"

"About once a month." Tsukune said. Mrs. Aono considered the repercussions of what she was going to say, and decided it was for the better.

"Tsukune?" She started.

"Yes mom?"

"Next time Moka visits, would you mind…introducing us?"

Tsukune smiled. "Sure! I'll ask her!"

Mrs. Aono put on a tired smile. "I look forward to it."

XXXXXXX

"Can I meet her too?" Kurumu asked through a mouthful of bread and lunchmeat. It was lunchtime, and as usual Kurumu and Tsukune were sitting together. Tsukune had told her about the conversation he and his mother had had before school, and Kurumu had a few questions of her own.

"Ummm…Sure, I guess." Tsukune said. For some reason, a little part of his brain told him that introducing his two best friends would be a very bad idea, but he ignored it.

After all, what's the worst that could happen?


	5. Introductions: 10 years old

So Rosario+Vampire Season 2 volume 7 came out this week, and with it the first official American appearance of Moka's oldest sister Ageha (for some reason called Aqua in the printed translation). I just have to say this: She freaks me right the hell out. Seriously.

**CHAPTER 5**

**INTRODUCTIONS**

Kurumu and Tsukune laughed in unison as the actor cracked a joke in the movie they were watching. It was nighttime, and Kurumu was sleeping over at Tsukune's house, which despite the oddity was completely normal. The duo had known each other since first grade, and they had been having sleepovers since then. They were both too young to fully understand why that would be weird, so for now they just enjoyed the blissful ignorance of youth. However, this sleepover was somewhat unique: it had been timed so that Kurumu would be around when Moka stopped by.

Kurumu glanced at the clock: 9:30. "Tsukune, when is Moka going to get here? It's getting late." Tsukune, who was used to staying up late waiting for Moka, was unaffected by the relatively early time. Kurumu, on the other hand, was not. Glancing over, Tsukune saw that his friends eyes were already half-closed and her yawns were getting longer and longer. Tsukune chuckled a little.

"It's okay; you can go to sleep Kurumu." He said with a smile. Kurumu started to protest, but Tsukune beat her to it. "Really, it's okay. I'll just wake you up when Moka gets here." Kurumu pouted for a few moments while she mulled over Tsukune's proposition. Finally she sighed, rolled over in her sleeping bag, and closed her eyes. Tsukune continued staring at the TV screen, his eyes glazing over as he started focusing less on the movie and more on Moka visiting. He went through the possible ways to introduce his parents and his friend. He started constructing his speech, word by word. Tsukune was so lost in thought he almost didn't feel the shaking of his shoulder.

"Wah…"Tsukune mumbled as he came out of his revere. He focused his eyes until he saw who was shaking him. "Moka!"

The vampire ignored his excitement. "Who's that?" She asked, pointing to Kurumu's sleeping form.

"That's my friend Kurumu." Tsukune told her, bringing up what he was going to say.

"Well, what is she doing here?"

"Um, you see Moka…my parents kind of wanted to meet you, and Kurumu did too."

"So? You're just going to _let them?_" Moka whisper-screamed, afraid of waking up the room's other occupant. She could feel herself growing angry. How dare Tsukune betray her trust! What they had, whatever it was, was special! It was between the two of them!

Tsukune, after knowing Moka for so long, was generally able to discern her mood. Currently, he could feel Moka getting angrier and angrier, and even a straight C-student would be able to deduce the reason. "I-I'm not trying to offend you, Moka." Tsukune started, hoping he would be able to calm her down. "It's just that I talk about you all the time , and everybody-"

"What?" Moka interrupted. Tsukune stared at her and Moka stared right back. "Why," She started, "do you talk about me all the time?"

"I didn't tell anyone that you were a vampire!" Tsukune said quickly, thinking that that was why Moka was angry about. But he was wrong.

"I know that!" Moka scoffed. She knew that Tsukune would never tell anyone that she wasn't human. What she was mad about was that Tsukune hadn't even asked her about meeting other people. "What do you mean, you talk about me all the time?"

"Well, you are my best friend…and you're really nice…I wanted people to know about you." Moka stared intently at Tsukune. One minute passed. Then another. Moka sighed when she saw that Tsukune was telling the truth. And even though the truth was dangerous, Tsukune had honestly seen nothing wrong, and Moka found herself unable to stay mad at someone so innocent.

"Fine." She muttered. "You can introduce me." Tsukune's face lit up with excitement, and he turned towards Kurumu to wake her up, but Moka caught him on the shoulder and turned him around once more. "But," She warned, "Don't ever do something like this again."

Tsukune nodded, but paused before he turned towards Kurumu. An idea occurred to him. "Hey Moka."

"What?"

"Go behind that door real quick…"

XXXXXX

Ten minutes later, Tsukune's parents and Kurumu were rubbing their eyes and gathered in the kitchen. Mr. Aono yawned. "Alright Tsukune: you said Moka was here. Where is she?" he asked. He was still somewhat skeptical about Moka's existence, and he was kind of peeved about having to wake up in the middle of the night, especially since he had to go to work tomorrow.

"She's right here." Tsukune responded. He turned towards the door that separated the two rooms. "Come on out." Tsukune said. Slowly, Moka stepped out from her hiding place behind the door frame, and looked to the ground blushing. Kurumu and the Aono's gasped. _This _was Moka? This beautiful young girl? How in the world did Tsukune know a girl like this? The Entire group sat in a stunned silence and Moka was growing incredibly self-conscious.

_I knew this was a bad idea…_ She thought. What would his parents do now? Would they hate her? Would they throw her out of the house?

"So you're Moka?" Kurumu asked. The silver-haired vampire nodded. "Are you Tsukune's girlfriend?"

"W-what?" Both Moka and Tsukune exclaimed in unison, taken aback by the suddenness of the question. Moka was about to indignantly reply, but Tsukune beat her too it.

"Of course not!" Tsukune said, sporting a healthy blush. "What makes you think that?"

"I don't know. The way you talk about her, I guess." Kurumu responded, sounding kind of happy for some reason. She got a mischievous look in her eye and, without warning, grabbed Tsukune's arm. Not only that, she stuck her tongue out in a 'nyah!' like fashion. Tsukune flustered, having no idea what was going on, and Moka was sorely tempted to flaunt her vampire strength for reasons she couldn't explain. Luckily, disaster was averted by Tsukune's mother speaking up for the first time.

"So, Moka, how do you…get in and out of the house?" She asked. Right now, Mrs. Aono was more concerned with why a ten-year old was sneaking around at night then getting to know her. Moka tore her gaze away from Kurumu and Tsukune, and Mrs. Aono was shocked when she noticed the girl's piercing red eyes. Suddenly, Mrs. Aono was reminded if the bedtime stories she told Tsukune every so often. Specifically, the ones about Vampires, the legendary creatures with silver hair and blood-red eyes. She shook the thoughts away. After all, they were just stories, right? Still, the strange resemblances kept the idea of supernatural involvement lingering.

Mrs. Aono was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn't even hear Moka answer her question. "I'm sorry sweetie, could you repeat that?"

"I climb through the window." Moka repeated. Mrs. Aono glanced at her husband, and he glanced at her: neither of them were quite sure how to respond to that.

"I see. And um, do your parents know about this?" Mrs. Aono asked, a little afraid of the answer.

"They do now." Count Akashiya whispered to himself from the other room. He had followed his daughter after noticing she had snuck out again. He had wanted to make sure that she was really feeding. After hiding in the family room, he had grown steadily angrier with every word. Moka had betrayed not only her family, but also her entire race. Something had to be done. And as the head of the family, it fell to Count Akashiya to do it.


	6. Complications: 10 years old

Before we start, I would like to thank Catyz101 for giving me the ideas for the reactions of Tsukune's parents. Also, Moka's upbringing reminds me a lot of Soul's from the manga Soul Eater. Anyone else notice the resemblance?

XXXXXXX

10 YEARS OLD

Moka resisted the urge to slap her face in exasperation. Tsukune's parents were, by far, the strangest people she had ever met. She had expected shock, disgust, hate even. Not…this.

"Ah, son, you're becoming quite the lady-killer! First Kurumu, and now Moka!" Mr. Aono exclaimed loudly. Said vampire remained quiet for lack of a better reaction. To be perfectly honest, she liked the oddness of Tsukune's parents: it was refreshing to meet people so down-to-Earth when she was used to being around the prim and proper (read: uptight and phony) upper crust. In fact, the only person who was really annoying Moka was Kurumu, for some reason. Maybe it was because of the way that she kept clinging onto Tsukune's arm and sticking out her tongue. Or maybe it was the way she was practically flirting with Tsukune. Whatever it was, Moka didn't like it, and the to of them had been throwing verbal barbs at each other for some time.

"Meaine!" Kurumu insulted after Moka outsmarted her once more. Tsukune would have intervened had the girls not made it abundantly clear that they would finish their argument regardless of what anybody else did. Said boy was looking on somewhat worriedly, and the two Aono parents were just watching and enjoying the show.

Moka was about to retort Kurumu's admittedly lame insult when she spotted the glowing numbers on the clock. She frowned. "Sorry." She said, turning towards Tsukune and his parents. Tsukune knew that look. It meant she had to leave.

"You're leaving?" He asked. Moka nodded, and she found herself somewhat pleased when both Tsukune's and his parents' faces fell. They liked her! That was good. It meant she could keep visiting.

Mrs. Aono approached Moka and kneeled down so that they were eye-to-eye. She leaned in and started whispering. "You know Moka," Mrs. Aono began. "I always used to think that you were imaginary." Moka resisted the urge to roll her eyes and stayed quiet. "But I didn't really mind, because Tsukune always got so happy when he talked about you." Moka's eyes widened and her breath caught in her throat. "Whenever he talked about your late-night visits, I would see Tsukune's face light up and he would get so animated. And even though I thought you weren't real, I found myself wishing that you were, because Tsukune was so fond of you. I just want to say…Thank you for being such a good friend." As Mrs. Aono stood up once again, Moka was fighting back tears. That was the nicest thing anybody had ever said to her. As the tears started to fall, Moka turned her back on the humans so they wouldn't see the tears fall.

"Goodbye." She said, keeping her voice steady. She went to the front door and left the house.

The Aono's waited a few moments before speaking again. "Okay!" Mrs. Aono chirped. "Let's all get back to bed, shall we?"

"Wait one moment, won't you?" A chill went down everyone's spines as a voice nobody recognized spoke up from the next room. Count Akashiya stepped into the kitchen, his expression bleak. "I would very much like to talk to the four of you."

XXXXX

Moka's mind was a busy mess as she made her way back to her house. Why did Mrs. Aono tell her all that? Why were Tsukune's parents so weird? And, most importantly, why did she get so jealous about Kurumu's PDA's? Moka pondered all of this as she headed home. She was so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she didn't even sense her father until he grabbed her shoulder.

"Moka." Count Akashiya said in an eerie monotone that he only used when he was at his angriest. This was the first time Moka had been on the receiving end, and she was scared senseless.

"D-dad!" She exclaimed. "What are you doing here?" It was the only thing she could think of to say. Count Akashiya narrowed his eyes.

"I know." He said, and Moka's heart sank. This was the moment she had been dreading, the moment she had had nightmares about. Her father had found out about Tsukune. What was he going to do to her? Worse, hat was he going to do to Tsukune?

"Wha-what are you going to do?" Moka asked, almost dreading the answer. Count Akashiya seemed unbothered by his daughter's quaking as he retained his cool exterior.

"I did what needed to be done." Count Akashiya said. Moka couldn't breathe. She thought of her best friend; his kindness. His raven-black hair. His chocolate-brown eyes. And before she knew it, Moka was crying and shouting at her father. "You killed him!" she screamed. "You killed him!"

"I did no such thing!" Count Akashiya barked, stopping Moka's wailing. She looked up at her father.

"What? B-but I thought you said-"

"I said I did what needed to be done. He didn't need to be killed."

"Then what…"

"That's not important." Was the only answer Count Akashiya would give. He kneeled down and grabed his daughter and, straighting out, continued home. "However," He began. "You are forbidden from leaving the manor again. Even to come to the human world." Moka knew that it was pointless arguing, and in other circumstances she would have let sleeping dogs lie, but when it involved Tsukune Moka couldn't let things be.

"But Father-"

"NO ARGUING!" Count Akashiya roared, losing his temper. He waited a few moments to reel himself in before speaking again. "You brought this on yourself Moka; you've shown that you cannot be trusted. I have no choice. Take a good long look around Moka; it's the last thing of the human world you'll ever see."

Moka did just that, glancing around and around. However, she only saw one thing: her best friend, waving goodbye on what neither of them had guessed would be her final visit.

XXXXXXXX

I was going to end this chapter a completely different way, but I decided against it since it would have messed up the story so much I would have needed to re-plan it out.


	7. Life Apart: 15 years old

To apologize for not updating last week, I will update twice this week. Next posting will be on Valentine's Day.

**15 YEARS OLD**

**LIFE APART and TWO PEOPLE MAKE PLANS**

Kokoa frowned as her sister Moka shuffled around the house doing her daily chores. She was like a robot: she did whatever she was told without question, and without fail. In five years, Moka had become the prime example of what the ideal daughter should be like. Everyone was always complimenting her on "What a great job you do!" or "How loyal you are!"

Everything had changed that night five years ago when father had caught her sneaking around with some human boy. Count Akashiya had brought her back home and locked her in her room with orders to stay put until he said otherwise or else something bad would happen to the human. For once, Moka had done as she had been told. The next day, nearly every vampire household had heard the rumors and come clamoring for an explanation. It took days for Count Akashiya to calm everyone down, and when he finally finished with damage control, he joined Moka in her room. They were there for hours, and nobody knows what happened, just that when Count Akashiya emerged from the room with Moka in tow claiming that he had 'cured' his daughter, Moka was avoiding eye contact with everyone. At first Kokoa hadn't realized anything was wrong; it served her sister right to be reprimanded! Spending time with a human? Unheard of! Kokoa tried to confront Moka a few days later as she was cleaning the library as part of her punishment

"Ha! You got what you deserved, Moka!" She taunted. There was no answer. "What did Father do to you?" Still no answer. Tired of being ignored, Kokoa grabbed her sister and looked her in the eyes. "Hey!" Whatever Kokoa was going to say died in her throat. Moka's eyes were completely dead; there was no emotion in them. Kokoa was so stunned that she let go of her older sister, who simply went back to work as in nothing had happened. Five years later, nothing had changed, and Kokoa was sick of it. She wanted her sister back! She wanted to have fights and argue! Kokoa knew what she had to do: she would have to defy her father and help her sister.

Kokoa thought she might have a plan to get her sister back, but first she needed to test the waters. She leaned against the doorframe, watching Moka doing her chores. Count Akashiya had never revealed the details of Moka's "Human Incident" as it was hatefully referred to, but Kokoa had uncovered enough details to figure out what had happened. Kokoa knew she had to be careful; if she did something wrong, she might lose her sister forever. However, she knew what she was going to say: she had rehearsed a dozen times, and had practiced her facial expression even more. Kokoa decided that this was the perfect time, and she cleared her throat to get Moka's attention. Moka paused.

"How's Tsukune doing?" Kokoa deadpanned. The change was instant. Moka gasped, tensed up, and she was so shocked that she dropped the broom she had been using. However, the best reaction was the flash in Moka's eyes, the first flash of emotion in five years. But, just as quick as it had appeared, the emotion vanished. As Moka recovered, picking up the broom and sweeping again as if nothing had happened, Kokoa smiled. It's reappearance may have been brief, but there was still emotion buried in Moka; it just took a special person to find it.

And Kokoa knew just who that person was.

XXXXXXX

"Here are your tests!" The teacher chirped, a pile of papers enclosed in her hands. She ignored the near-unanimous moan from the class and instead started down the aisles, handing out tests and moving on before she could get overwhelmed with questions concerning grades. When she reached Tsukune's desk, she paused. "Top of the class again, Mr. Aono! Congratulations!" Tsukune accepted her flattery with a nod, and then went back to staring out the window in a daydream. He didn't see the glares he was getting from the guys and the looks of adoration he was getting from the girls.

XXXXXX

In the hallway, Tsukune was nearly bowled over by Kurumu's tackle hug. "Hiya Tsukune! How'd you do on the test?" She asked enthusiastically. Tsukune shrugged.

"Same as always." He said. Kurumu gave a comedic frown.

"Me too…" Tsukune chuckled at his best friend's always-bad grades.

"If you really need help, I could tutor you." Tsukune offered as the duo made their way to the cafeteria. They got in line, keeping up the constant banter until a shy brown-haired boy interrupted them. He fidgeted for a few moments, gathering his wits until he finally found the courage to speak up.

"Um…K-Kurumu?" He stuttered. Said blue-haired girl smiled softly and waited for him to continue. "I w-was j-just wondering if m-maybe you would…I dunno… g-go on a date with me?" He forced out his sentence, the hope in his voice shining past the stuttering. Unfortunately, Kurumu couldn't return the sentiment.

"I'm sorry…" She started. That was all the poor admirer needed to hear, and he ran away screaming before Kurumu could continue. Tsukune shook his head at the receding form.

"Jeez Kurumu, that's like the tenth guy in two weeks you've turned down. Why do you keep doing it?" He asked with a light-hearted smile.

"Because I love you, Tsukune!" Kurumu informed him with a 'duh' tone of voice. Tsukune's smile fell, and his eyes tinged with melancholy.

"Kurumu, we've been over this." He said sadly. Kurumu waved her hand.

"I know, I know!" She assured her best friend. Tsukune nodded and turned around to face the line again, leaving Kurumu to stare sadly at his back. He had changed so much in the five years that he hadn't seen Moka. Tsukune had gone from the middle of his class to the very top in one semester, and had also gone from a relative wallflower to one of the most popular kids in school. Through it all, he and Kurumu still stayed good friends, and he always had time for her.

Although Tsukune's situation would normally make most people happy as can be, Kurumu knew the truth behind Tsukune's social 180. She had been in the house when, five years ago, Count Akashiya had lain out with shocking coldness an itemized list of why Moka and Tsukune could no longer be friends or meet. The main argument was that Tsukune was a human, and therefore unfit to even be in the presence of a noble and mighty vampire. Since then, Tsukune had been doing his best to be the best person he could be (although in Kurumu's opinion he didn't really have too try too hard). But it was all a shell. Anyone who got close enough to Tsukune could see that he was hurting inside: not being able to see Moka anymore had been a hard pill to swallow, especially when it was so sudden. Kurumu stared at Tsukune's back. She didn't want him to hurt anymore, and as his best friend, it was her obligation to do anything possible to make Tsukune feel better.

Anything: even try to track down a vampire.

XXXXXX

God, I hope I didn't make the characters so OOC that they're not the same anymore, and if I did I had good enough explanations why…


	8. An Abduction: 15 years old

**I5 YEARS OLD**

**AN ABDUCTION-KIND OF**

Kokoa went up to her father. "I'm going to go searching for dinner." She informed him. He nodded.

"Very well. Make sure to take the servants with you." Kokoa frowned, although she should have seen it coming. Yet another repercussion of Moka's rule breaking, Count Akashiya had deemed it necessary to that watchers accompany his daughters whenever they left the house. It was incredibly annoying; there was almost no privacy. But, Kokoa had prepared for the worst, and knew just what to do.

XXXXXX

"Lady Kokoa, what are you doing?" The servant to her left asked. Kokoa ignored him and instead focused on looking through the window from her perch on the tree branch. She had finally found Tsukune. At first glance, he seemed to be nothing special. Raven-black hair, chocolate-brown eyes… okay, so maybe he _was _pretty cute. But that didn't matter right now; Kokoa couldn't help but be disappointed. From what she had gathered, Kokoa had assumed that Tsukune had had a big crush on her sister. However, it looked like Tsukune had moved on. There was a busty and beautiful blue-haired girl sitting in his room, playing cards with him. "Lady Kokoa?" The servant asked again.

"What?" Kokoa snapped, turning and glaring at her fellow vampire.

"Why are we watching a lone human?"

"I'm stalking my prey." Kokoa used her pre-prepared excuse and turned towards the window again. "Huh?" Wait a minute, where did the girl go?

"I knew we were being watched." Kokoa and her two accomplices whipped their heads towards the sound of the voice at the base of the tree, where Kokoa saw the blue-haired girl. She swore and leapt down to confront the intruder.

"Who the hell are you?" Kokoa snarled, ever the anti-social one.

"I could ask you the same thing." The girl snarkily replied. Kokoa smirked.

_Smart ass. _"It doesn't matter who I am," Kokoa said, getting into a fighting stance, "because you won't be conscious long enough to feel the full wrath of a vampire!" The insult was meant as a taunt. The girl's eyes widened, and her mouth plopped open. _Ha! Of course! Now that she knows what she's dealing with, she's wishing she had never messed with me!_

However, Kokoa was wrong. The shock in the girls' eyes was quickly replaced by anger, and before Kokoa's startled eyes she unfurled a pair of demonic-looking wings and grew claw-like fingernails. "I _hate_ vampires." The girl bared her teeth. "Are you here to attack Tsukune? I bet that slime Count Akashiya sent you!" The servants gasped.

"How DARE a lowly Succubus address the high and noble Count in such a horrible fashion!" The accused. Kokoa ignored them and frowned at this new development. How did a Succubus know about Tsukune's history with the vampires? It didn't make sense! But Kokoa didn't have time to ask questions as the girl launched herself towards the group.

They clashed. Kokoa had to say, she was mildly impressed. Normally, a Succubus is no match for a vampire. However, this girl managed to avoid being automatically killed when fighting three of them. As it was though, mere moments later the girl was slammed against the tree trunk. Kokoa marched over and narrowed her eyes. "Who are you?" she asked.

However, Kokoa never got her answer, because at that moment the backdoor to the house opened and Tsukune stepped out. "What in the world is going on out he-" Tsukune stopped talking as he saw what was happening. The monsters on his lawn froze. Tsukune first looked at the vampires, his face turning slightly pale at the sight of their bared fangs and scrunched faces. He then looked at the girl against the tree, and he was stunned to see his oldest friend with wings growing out of her back and claws. "Kurumu?" He squeaked in a tiny voice. Then he passed out, the shock of vampires visiting him once again and the discovery that his best friend was a monster overwhelming him.

The servants were the first to react, dashing over to Tsukune and catching him before he hit the ground. One of them swore loudly. "A witness! We must get rid of him!" Cold fear gripped Kokoa's heart. Kill Tsukune? He was the only way to get her sister back! She couldn't let him die, not now! Kokoa clenched her fists as she realized there was only one way out of this situation. _I've come this far; I can't back out now! _Kokoa justified as she sped forward and knocked out the two servants with two well-placed attacks. As they fell too the ground, the blue haired girl (didn't Tsukune call her Kurumu?) struggled to her feet and assumed a fighting stance.

"Don't you dare hurt Tsukune!" She said. Kokoa scoffed.

"Know your place, girl; if I wanted to hurt him, I would have done so already." Kurumu became confused. What was this girl talking about? Kurumu considered asking, but other things came into her mind when she saw the vampire tossing Tsukune over her shoulder.

"Hey hey hey! What are you doing?" Kurumu asked, jogging over to the vampire. She started walking, leaving Kurumu to trail along behind her.

"What does it look like? I'm taking Tsukune back to my house." Kokoa said coolly. Kurumu tugged on the vampire's arm.

"What do you mean? You can't do that!" She said desperately. Kokoa tried to ignore her, but the insistent tugging, combined with the unceasing whining, got Kokoa fed up. In a sudden burst of emotion, Kokoa spun around and smacked Kurumu, laying her out on the ground. As the Succubus rubbed her face in shock, Kokoa glared at her.

"Do you think I don't have a good reason for doing this?" She snapped, barely containing her anger. "Moka is different now; she's not even a person anymore!" Somewhere, in the back of her mind, Kokoa knew she shouldn't be saying anything, that she was breaking who knows how many rules. But Kokoa found that she didn't care; it felt so good to just let loose and finally spill her problems to somebody, to let someone in. "Tsukune is the only one who can possibly bring my sister back!" She cried.

Kurumu stared in silence at the vampire for a few moments. "Moka's your sister?" She asked. Kokoa nodded. Kurumu thought, then slowly got up. She gazed at Tsukune. "He always talks about her." She said. "I'm always telling him how much I like him, but I know that he likes Moka, no matter how much he tries to deny it." This information took Kokoa off guard.

"Wait, hold on-you mean he's not your boyfriend?" She asked. Kurumu let out a humorless laugh.

"No, he's not, no matter how much I want him to be." Kurumu pondered something for a moment. "You said Tsukune's the only one that can help Moka right?" Kokoa nodded yes. "That's all he ever wanted." Kurumu sighed. "Alright, lets go!"

"Wait, what do you mean?" Kokoa asked in amazement. "You can't come!"

Kurumu stuck her toungue out. "Try and stop me! Tsukune may not be my boyfriend, but he's my best friend, and there's no way I'm going to let him go into a nest of vampires alone!"

"Not a chance!" Kokoa protested.

"Try and stop me." Kurumu challenged. Kokoa didn't bother pointing out how much more powerful she was, figuring that there was some underlying meaning to the threat.

"What do you mean?" Kurumu smirked.

"Technically, you're kidnapping a human. I'm a monster too; I might accidentally let slip that some vampires are threatening the peace. How long do you think you're family would last against the entire monster world?" Kokoa almost felt her mouth drop.

"You wouldn't."

"Try me." Kokoa could tell from the look in Kurumu's eyes that she wasn't lying. Seeing no other option, Kokoa whipped around and continued on without a word. Taking the silence as acceptance, Kurumu followed, a wry smile plastered on her face.


	9. Almost there: 15 years old

Sorry about no update last week: life is mean. Ugh. Anyway, this story is defiantly heating up now, and I must say I'm enjoying writing it. In other newa, poll on my profile! Answer please?

**15 YEARS OLD**

**ALMOST THERE…**

Kokoa ground her teeth and was mildly amused to realize she wouldn't be surprised if her illustrious fangs were nothing but stumps by now. The damned Succubus just refused to shut up, and resisting the temptation to beat the crap out her was getting harder. To be perfectly honest, the only reason Kokoa didn't unleash the power of the vampire was because Kurumu's threat was very real.

Kokoa re-adjusted Tsukune's limp body on her shoulder. He had been unconscious for a half-hour; they had nearly entered the monster world. A groan from Tsukune made both Kokoa and Kurumu stop, but for different reasons.

_Yay, Tsukune's awake! _Kurumu gleefully thought.

_Oh great, Tsukune's awake. _ Kokoa mentally groaned. She shifted her shoulder and tossed Tsukune to the ground like a sack of potatoes. The human groaned once again as he lifted his head, rubbing the spot he landed on. Blinking, Tsukune struggled to focus on what he was seeing. Kurumu leaned in, and Tsukune scrambled away.

Kurumu felt a pang of sadness. This was exactly why she hadn't told Tsukune about her true form: after being stabbed in the back by the vampires, Kurumu was worried that maybe Tsukune wasn't ready to trust another monster just yet. She held her breath as Tsukune stared at the duo, as if looking for the right words. Kokoa just tapped her foot in annoyance; they didn't have time for this!

"…What happened?" Tsukune asked dubiously. Kurumu glanced at Kokoa to see if she was going to answer, then turned back to Tsukune when she saw that the vampire would remain silent. She bit her lip, then decided on a safe thing to say.

"You fell unconscious." She said, blatantly ignoring the reason why. Tsukune's mouth formed a tight line.

"Because you had wings and a tail." He said bluntly. Kurumu let out a few strangled chuckles, and Kokoa smirked at his snapiness.

_More spunk than I thought. _She absentmindedly thought.

Kurumu scrambled while Tsukune looked at her expectantly from the ground. "Well, um, funny story, ah, I WAS going to tell you…maybe…wait, I mean…no…erk." She sighed, slumping over. She lifted her head up, meeting Tsukune's eyes with her own. Her purple eyes were tinged with sadness. "Tsukune, I'm sorry." She said. "I was just…I dunno, afraid that you wouldn't like me anymore, after what those lousy vampires did to you…" Kokoa wisely decided to keep her mouth shut and let that insult slip by. "I should have told you." Tsukune looked at his best friend, silent. Then, he grinned from ear to ear.

Tsukune stood up and held Kurumu's shoulders. "Don't worry Kurumu." He said jovially. "I understand. Don't worry; I forgive you." Kurumu searched Tsukune's face for any signs of a bluff, but she could tell her best friend was being genuine. She cheered, then grabbed him in a tight hug. Tsukune patted her on the back. "But seriously, what are the odds that _both _of my best friends turn out to be monsters?"

Kokoa watched the sappy scene for a minute, then her anger at being held up got the better of her and she cleared her throat. Kurumu and Tsukune blushed and quickly separated, coughing a couple of times out of awkwardness. Kokoa rolled her eyes, then narrowed them at Tsukune. She leaned in, lifting up a finger and getting into his face.

"Listen human," She started, wagging her finger. "Are you going to help Moka or not?"

"Help Moka?" Tsukune asked frantically, his eyes, widening out of shock. "What's wrong with her?" Kokoa told Tsukune what was happening with her sister, and Tsukune gasped, his eyes tinted with sorrow.

"Moka…" He breathed, not willing to believe what he had heard. He stood up straight and clenched his fists. His eyes filled with resolve. He turned to his companions. "Show me where she is."

XXXXXXXX

The cores were, quite honestly, the only thing Moka had to look forward to anymore. Their monotonous repition allowed her to focus on something else. Anything except Ts-

Moka increased in her furious sweeping as the person she was forbidden to think about crept into her head again. It wasn't that she didn't to think about the human; it was that she wasn't allowed to. One would think that their thoughts were no one's but their own, but Count Akashiya always seemed to know what she was thinking. The last time she had been caught thinking about his chocolate-brown eyes…his raven-black hair…his heartfelt smile… Moka sighed in defeat as she accepted that she wouldn't be able to get Tsukune out of her head anytime soon. She smiled as she relived her memories of her best friend and the times they spent together.

Moka finished sweeping the room, and with that she had completed her chores for the day. She picked up her cleaning supplies and was about to leave when her father entered the room.

"Hello Moka." He greeted his daughter. Moka nodded in return. Count Akashiya glanced around the room with a frown. "Moka, have you seen Kokoa around?" Moka shook her head no. Count Akashiya's frown deepened. "She should have been back from her feeding by now…." He thought for another few moments before Moka spoke up.

"Father, may I take a walk around the grounds?" She asked. It was not an uncommon request; almost every night Moka took a stroll. She didn't know why she did it, but it was quite relaxing.

"Of course." Count Akashiya said with a wave of his hand. "Find escorts and take your time." Moka bowed and went off to find escorts, which were required whenever she left the house; Count Akashiya had a ridiculous fear that she might run away (well, she would, but that was beside the point).

As Moka moved through the hallways, she had a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach. If she didn't know better, Moka might have called it a nagging sense that something special would happen tonight.


	10. Reunion: 15 years old

Here's to hoping that I didn't mess up this extremely important scene. Feedback and poll answers would be appreciated. Enjoy!**  
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**15 YEARS OLD**

**REUNION**

Moka took a deep breath, her lungs filling with fresh night air as she left the suffocating largeness of the mansion. The night was beautiful, the stars shining through the blanket of darkness like holes into heaven. The moon shone like a spotlight on the vast grounds of the mansion, and the peacefulness was picture-perfect. Moka almost smiled, but she could hear the deep breathing of one of her escorts shattered the moment. The bulky guard to her right grunted. "Lets get going." He muttered. Moka narrowed her eyes, the perpetual frown on her face growing even bigger. She decided to refrain from hurting the escort and instead started a brisk walk, the heavy thudding footfalls of the bulky guards in sharp contrast to her quick and silent steps. Knowing her path by heart, Moka stared at the moon as she walked, finding that she was once again being nagged by the feeling that something special was going to happen.

XXXXXXX

Tsukune, Kokoa, and Kurumu peered over the pile of rocks that they were hiding behind, trying to find Moka. Kokoa let out an angry sigh. "What the hell? She should be taking a walk around now…" A thought occurred to her. _Did we take too long to get here? Did Moka already go inside? I knew I shouldn't have let that stupid Succubus along! _

"I think I see someone!" Kurumu whispered sharply, grabbing Kokoa's attention. The vampire raised her head and looked where Kurumu was pointing. Sure enough, three figures were walking down the path at a brisk pace; a small and petite figure that Kokoa realized was her sister from her scent, and two muscle-bound buffoons accompanied her. Kokoa cursed under her breath; she had hoped against hope that her sister would be alone. Unfortunately that was not the case. Sliding down behind the boulder, Kokoa considered her possible options. She needed to get rid of the escorts, but how? Tsukune and Kurumu were useless; e was a human, and Kurumu wouldn't be a match for one of her father's handpicked servants, who were known to be as ferocious as they were obedient. Kokoa knew that she wouldn't be able to take out both of them. One maybe, but not both. She needed a way to get them both off balance long enough to take them out. But how?

Kokoa knocked her head against the rocks. What could she do? A few loose pebbles came sliding down from the top and bounced off Kokoa's shoulder. Kokoa narrowed her eyes as a thought occurred to her, and she gingerly picked up one of the pebbles. She looked to the top of the rock pile, illuminated by the moonlight, and smirked.

XXXXXXX

Moka, still staring at the moon, almost missed the slight movement at the corner of her eye. However, no matter how dead she was on the inside, nothing could erase years of training, and Moka automatically tensed, ready to unleash the power of the vampire on anybody foolish enough to attack Manor Akashiya. Suddenly, two rocks came flying from behind a nearby rock pile and hit Moka's tow escorts, whom had let their guards down and paid the price. They hit the dirt with two heavy thuds, and Moka brought up her hands to prepare for a fight. She clenched her teeth and growled, waiting for her opponent to show themselves. Imagine her surprise when Kokoa peeked her head out to check and see if she had hit her targets.

Kokoa smirked as she stepped out from her hiding spot, and it took all of Moka's control not to leap and attack her younger sister. As it was, she could feel her rage and disbelief growing.

"Kokoa!" She snarled. "What the HELL are you doing!" Kokoa felt too proud of herself to even feel afraid of her older sister, and instead cleared her throat as she reviewed what he was going to say.

"Moka, just listen to me," Kokoa stared, pausing. Moka just stared, prompting Kokoa to keep going. "I know you don't really like to show your emotions, but I can tell that you haven't been the same these past couple of years." Moka flinched at the truthfulness of Kokoa's words. "It…it killed me to see you like that, so I..well, I found a way to make you feel better." Moka raised an eyebrow as Kokoa reached behind the pile of rocks and pulled out-

No.

It couldn't be.

Tsukune and Moka both froze, shocked at seeing each other again. Time seemed to stand still as their eyes drank in the sight if each other. _He's taller. _Moka noticed almost at once. She instantly started searching for other differences. _His hair is messier… He actually has some muscle now… His eyes are brighter…. and he's so…handsome._

XXXXXXX

_Her hair is longer. _That was the first thing that Tsukune noticed after seeing his childhood friend and crush again after five years. _It used to only go to her waist; now it's at her knees._ Tsukune absorbed everything about this beautiful girl…no, not a girl anymore, Tsukune reminded himself. Moka was a woman now, and she was so different and yet just the same as the last time Tsukune saw her. Kokoa let go of Tsukune's shirt and he took a slow step forward, unblinking as if afraid that if he blinked Moka would go away. He took another step forward, then another, and before anyone knew what had happened Tsukune and Moka was racing towards each other. Naturally, Moka reached Tsukune first, and the couple embraced in a nearly bone-crushing hug, the silence speaking words that neither would be able to speak out loud. Tsukune closed his eyes tightly, relishing the feeling of Moka in his arms and doing his best to contain the tears of happiness that threatened to fall. They slowly rocked, completely ignoring the two spectators.

Kurumu watched the scene with a mixture of happiness, guilt, and sadness. She was happy because she knew that the only thing Tsukune had wanted for the past three years was to see Moka again, and now he was finally able to. She felt sad because as she watched the couple embrace, Kurumu could feel her own heart breaking, but then she felt guilty because she knew that she should just be happy for Tsukune. Trying to alleviate some of her emotions, Kurumu turned to Kokoa, whom she knew was watching her sister.

"Thank you." Kurumu whispered softly. Kokoa's eyes flickered to Kurumu, but her head didn't turn. Kurumu honestly didn't expect to get any response from the vampire at all, and was surprised when Kokoa nodded sharply. Kurumu once again watched Tsukune and Moka, who hadn't moved at all, and found herself smiling without realizing it. There was just something so…magical about the scene.

Kurumu desperately hoped that her best friend would finally be able to find peace.

XXXXXXX

Count Akashiya was interrupted in his studies by a quick and urgent knock on the door. "Come in."

The door opened to reveal the Count's personal butler, Alfred. "Sir, the guards have found Kokoa." Count Akashiya nodded.

"Good."

"But that's not all they have found, sir." At the Count's confused look, Alfred continued. "It seems there are two intruders on the grounds..."


	11. Confrontation Part 1: 15 years old

I'm not sure about this chapter…I fell like the characters are OOC, but I can't figure out how else I could write this. If anybody has any options, I might re-write this chapter. But for now, Enjoy!

**15 YEARS OLD**

**CONFRONTATION, PART 1**

Count Akashiya was not feeling like his normal self. Normally, he kept both his emotions and his power in check; he was much too powerful to let either one get out of control. It had been a very long time since he had experienced something that made him almost lose control.

This, however, was testing his patience.

The very NERVE of that human…daring to come onto HIS property! Daring to talk with HIS daughter and disobey HIS rules! And even worse, he brought a succubus onto his property! In his anger, Count Akashiya didn't even pause for a moment to consider why Kokoa was merely standing by and watching the scene rather than attacking the intruder. But that didn't matter. All that mattered was that the human got what was coming to him…and this time, Count Akashiya would be sure to teach him a lesson he would never forget.

XXXXX

Kokoa and Kurumu shivered as a chill went up their spines. They glanced around, confused; Moka and Tsukune apparently had felt nothing, as they just kept right on talking. Kurumu looked at Kokoa quizzically, but was ignored by the red-haired vampire since she was deep in thought. She recognized that Aura, even if it was only around for a split second. It was her father's, and there was no way it could be good. Kokoa knew that she had to get Tsukune out of there. She approached the couple, oblivious.

"We have to ge-" She never finished. The sudden surge of an overwhelmingly powerful aura made the words die in her throat and sent her and Tsukune to their knees.

"I warned you once, human." Said Count Akashiya as he stepped out from the shadows, eyes blazing and fists clenched. "Apparently it wasn't enough."

Tsukune tried to say something, anything, but the aura was choking, invading his mind and probing his thoughts. He had never felt anything like it.

Kokoa had never seen her father like this. He had always been so composed; choosing his words carefully and never letting his temper get the best of him. Now, though…Kokoa saw just why her father was often considered the strongest vampire around. She had experienced the power of some of the most powerful people of her race, and nothing came close to this. It was no wonder everyone was afraid of him.

Moka was torn. She didn't want to disobey her father, but…there was no way she could just stand by and let her best friend be hurt by her own flesh and blood! But whenever she tried to make a move, the awful memories came flooding back. The memories of the hours of reprimand were a wound that had never closed over the years, and the main reason that Moka had stayed in line over the years. Now, though… Moka didn't think she would ever be able to forgive herself if she just stood by and watched. Tsukune was her first friend; her best friend… and she would be lying through her teeth if she said that he wasn't more than that.

Count Akashiya slowly advanced on Tsukune, the weight of his aura driving Kurumu and Moka to the ground.. "What part of 'stay away' did you not understand?" He growled. "What part of 'I will kil you' did not get through your head?" He stopped in front of Tsukune, who was doing his best to keep his composure. "I guess," Count Akashiya said, raising a fist, "I need to beat the lesson into you."

"I brought him!" Kokoa yelled from her place on the ground, making her father freeze in his tracks.

"Excuse me?" he whispered, just loud enough to be heard. Kokoa gulped, already regretting her decision, but spoke up anyway.

"I brought him." Kokoa repeated. Count Akashiya slowly turned to face his youngest daughter, his eyes filled with an unusual amount of an emotion that neither Kokoa nor Moka could read.

"Why?" Count Akashiya asked. Kokoa hesitated, unsure of how to answer. She wanted her sister back, yes, but saying that would mean that she was practically accusing her father of all but killing Moka, and that would be nothing short of suicide. But then again, so was admitting that she had brought Tsukune onto Manor Akashiya. Kokoa realized that no matter what, she was going to pay for what she had done, so she might as well have no regrets about it.

"I did it because… because Moka wasn't the same!" Kokoa cried. "She was dead inside! And I knew that Tsukune could help her!" There. It was out in the open.

Count Akashiya narrowed his eyes. "Your sister disobeyed my explicit orders, and you expect me to not reprimand her? It was her own fault; she should have just stayed away, and everything would be fine. But she didn't. Neither did you."

Kokoa remained silent, not having anything to say. She wouldn't change her stance, no matter what; certainly her father knew that. But it didn't matter; Count Akashiya could make you do anything he wanted you to do, regardless of your mindset. He had proven as much with Moka, and he would probably prove it again with Kokoa.

Count Akashiya glanced back and forth between his two daughters. "Such rampant disobedience!" He said. "It cannot be tolerated!" He looked at Tsukune and smiled an evil smile. "It seems, though, that there is one common element to your disobedience." Fast as a bullet, Count Akashiya reached out and grabbed Tsukune by the collar, lifting him off of his feet. "All I have to do is remove that element, and the problem will be solved!"

"Tsukune!" Kurumu screamed. "Put him down!" She commanded. Count Akashiya laughed.

"Or what?" He taunted. "What can a succubus do?"

"She can't do anything." Moka said in a calm voice. Count Akashiya looked at his daughter, and was surprised to find her on her feet with a dangerous look in her eye.


	12. Confrontation Part 2: 15 years old

**15 YEARS OLD**

**CONFRONTATION PART 2**

Count Akashiya considered his daughter, his grip on Tsukune's color never faltering. "I assume you mean to fight me for this human." Moka nodded, tensing her muscles in preparation for what would undoubtedly be one of the toughest fights of her life. But, no matter what, Moka knew that she couldn't lose; not when there was so much at stake. Count Akashyia's mouth formed a hard line. "I had thought you would know better than this Moka." His leg snapped out carelessly, already expecting to get a hit.

But Moka was prepared, and she caught her father's kick. It was powerful, so it took both of Moka's hands and all the strength she could muster, but she blocked the attack. This caught Count Akashiya off-guard, being that he had not expected Moka to be strong enough to do that. His grip around Tsukune's collar still as strong as a vice, Count Akashiya turned to face his daughter with a ponderous look. Moka had positioned herself in a classic fighter's stance: legs spread wide, knees bent for support, and arms up with fists at the ready. A bemused smirk flitted across Count Akashyia's face before he dove forward, Tsukune still in his hand. The young boy let out a yelp as Count Akashiya and Moka collided. Fists and feet flew as the Count kept up a relentless assault that took everything Moka had just to block and dodge. Finally, the Count made a mistake: he put too much force into one of his punches and was thrown-off balance for a moment. It was a small mistake, but Moka intended to capitalize on it and threw a punch. Count Akashiya smirked, expecting the move, and moved his arm to defend.

It was the arm that was still holding Tsukune. Moka stopped her punch, clenching the muscles in her arms so they could go no further. Unfortunately, her balance was thrown off and her momentum carried her forward, wide open. Not pulling any punches, Count Akashiya exploited the opening and delivered a swift blow to his daughter's stomach. Moka lost her breath in a whoosh of air as she flew back, the pain in her gut overwhelming.

Moka recovered enough to catch herself and eyed her father cautiously. She cursed him under her breath for using such and underhanded technique. As long as her father held Tsukune, he would use him as a human shield. Moka's thoughts raced, trying to think of some way around the tactic. But nothing came to mind.

Kurumu rose to her feet, her rage fueling her on. How dare that despicable vampire use her precious Tsukune for his own selfish desires! She wouldn't stand for this! Kurumu unfurled her wings and extended her claws, aching for a fight. Teeth bared, she leapt forward… and promptly fell flat on her face as something grabbed her by the ankle. Kurumu spat out a mouthful of dirt, then sent a death glare behind herself, yanking on her leg for good measure.

Kokoa held fast on the succubus' ankle, a determined look on her face.

"Let go!" Kurumu commanded, tugging on her leg once more. Kokoa frowned and yanked, dragging Kurumu back. "What are you doing!"

"Saving your life." Kokoa grunted, making Kurumu pause. "What do you think you can do to my father, really? Hurt him? You? Please. You couldn't even deal with some run-of-the-mill bodyguards, and now you think you can take on one of the strongest members of our race? You would be killed in an instant."

"Well I have to do something!" Kurumu wailed. "I can't just sit by and let Tsukune get hurt!"

"The best thing for you to do is just sit by and wait. You'll only get in the way." Kokoa said. Kurumu said nothing, knowing she was right, and instead turned to look at the battle. Moka had been re-engaged by her father, and she was in a tight spot. Kurumu bit her lip as she tried desperately to think of some way she could help her friends.

Tsukune hated himself at the present moment. He hated himself for being so useless and having the girl he loved fight his battles for him. He also hated himself because he was being used against Moka in a fight that was already one-sided to begin with. Tsukune could see Moka taking every hit from his prison in Count Akashyia's hand, and his heart sunk a little further with each blow._ I have to do something _Tsukune resolved. _I can't just sit here and let Moka get beat up like this! _Tsukune went for the best plan first: he tried to wiggle out of his shirt and drop to the ground, like he saw on TV. Unfortunately, that didn't work; Count Akashyia's grip on Tsukune's shirt was much too tight. Going with plan B, Tsukune grabbed Count Akashyia's arm for support, bringing up both his legs in preparation for what he was about to do. He waited a few moments, praying for just the right time to unleash his plan. He saw it, a brief opening that was just barely there, and Tsukune took it. His legs exploded forward, feet colliding with Count Akashyia's face with as much force as Tsukune could muster.

Although the attack was next-to useless (Tsukune was only human after all, and therefore no match for the Count), it was completely unexpected. This surprise made Count Akashiya loosen his grip on Tsukune's shirt, and Tsukune used it to his advantage and wiggled out of his shirt and thudded onto the ground, leaving Count Akashiya holding nothing but a shirt that was blowing in the wind. He reacted instantly, diving for Tsukune, but the human was pulled away at the last moment by Kurumu, who had been watching the fight closely and had swooped in the second Tsukune was free.

Kurumu took Tsukune back to where Kokoa was, placing his onto the ground while Count Akashiya watched with growing anger. He rounded on his daughter, who was smirking at the small victory. "Your accomplices are quite annoying." He said, dropping the shirt. Moka said nothing. Count Akashiya attacked once more, and the fight was on again. Tsukune watched from a distance as Moka fought, but he still couldn't shake the feeling that he should be doing something more. An idea occurred to him, and Tsukune went over to the rock pile that he had hid behind earlier. Grabbing one of the rocks, Tsukune brought back his arm and let loose. Sadly, baseball had never been Tsukune's strong suit, and the rock missed its mark completely, but Kokoa and Kurumu had caught on and had picked up rocks f their own.

This time, the rocks actually made contact with Count Akashiya, and he turned, giving Moka an opening to deliver a swift kick to her father's stomach in retaliation for his earlier attack. Rage, hot and bitter, rose up in his throat. "All of you, defying me," He started, his voice getting louder with every word. "You will all feel my wrath."

"Leave them alone." A voice demanded from the night. A figure stepped into the moonlight, making everyone pause. Moka felt her breath catch in her throat.

"Mother?" she whispered.


End file.
